In 2019, Mr Patterson was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called polythaemia vera cancer and is trying to raise $250,000 to travel to the United States for treatment.

The cancer can cause other blood diseases, increase the levels of red blood cells or cause blood clots if left untreated.

He said his first thought after the diagnosis was a gut-punch - "I'm going to die".

"I watched a family member die 10 years ago from cancer and thought 'I don't want to go through that'," he said.

His thought then instantly turned to his daughters, Shiralea, 6, Kalaree, 4 and Harper, 20 months, and his wife Shoni, who he said were the driving forces behind wanting to beat the disease.

His life has been turned upside down since the diagnosis, with regular trips to the hospital to be bled as well as some treatment which he called "the most painful thing I've ever done" in bone marrow tests.

Mr Patterson owned and ran Picture Perfect Lawn Maintenance, which he built up over the past five years to support his family and the Aboriginal community in Orange, but was forced to give it away due to the illness, which left him unable to walk or "do anything, really".

He regularly needs to have blood drained and has been unable to work since the diagnosis, which has been a huge blow.

"I built the business over five years and worked every day of the week. I tried to mow the lawns the other day and got two strips done and that was me, I was finished," he said.

He said he hadn't worked since before the diagnosis but would love nothing more than to get his business back up and running.

"It's like my baby, I just can't get rid of it ... it's been such a big part of my life," he said.

Treatment would involve a stem cell trial in the US, with a 40-day stay in the country and a $50,000 bill for the hospital stay alone, and Mr Patterson is hoping at the other end he can spend more time with his girls.

Mr Patterson's GoFundMe is https://www.gofundme.com/f/usa-cancer-treatment-for-orange-nsw-father-of-3?